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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27339628">The Locket</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Space_Spazz_101/pseuds/Space_Spazz_101'>Space_Spazz_101</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Red vs. Blue</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Death, Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 00:20:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,042</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27339628</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Space_Spazz_101/pseuds/Space_Spazz_101</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Locus finds a shiny bauble in the snow after they lose the Reds and Blues at the F.A.C. Outpost. It was supposed to be just some useless keepsake one of the idiots had lost during their escape. Felix had thought it would make a good trophy, a way to remember what had happened on this job. It shouldn't have made any kind of a difference in how they proceeded with their extermination of the armies and the rest of the planet's population. It shouldn't impact the plan at all.</p><p>But it wasn't just a shiny, meaningless pendant.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Felix | Isaac Gates &amp; Locus | Samuel Ortez, Felix | Isaac Gates &amp; Locus | Samuel Ortez &amp; Siris | Mason Wu, Felix | Isaac Gates &amp; Siris | Mason Wu, Locus | Samuel Ortez &amp; Siris | Mason Wu, Megan Wu/Siris | Mason Wu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Locket</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is what I have been working on instead of the next chapter of Train Wreck or editing any of my other stories that desperately need it. I hope it's good.<br/>P.S. I have discovered that I can't write summaries.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>UNSC Dog tags are held on the outside of armor. It makes for an easy to recover when a soldier has died on the battlefield. Especially when you don’t have to risk removing the breastplate in the middle of a war zone. The tags were held in place with a magnetic strip that would deactivate when a sensor in the chest plate sped detecting the wearers heartbeat. Every standard UNSC armor, even those used in Project Freelancer had it.</p><p> </p><p>Locus has been the one to discover the shiny bauble half buried in the snow. The orange color had told them who it belonged to.</p><p> </p><p>One of the Pirates must have gotten in a shot at the idiot before Carolina had swept in to save them. They had thought someone had manage to hit Captain Grif in the chest plate. Unfortunately, it was only a glancing blow. Not enough to actually kill him, but it was enough to knock his dog tags from their magnetic holder.</p><p> </p><p>Felix didn’t know <em>why</em> Locus had grabbed them, but he seemed to be interested in the small addition made to the metal chain.</p><p> </p><p>A oval shaped disk was maybe an eighth of an inch thick and composed of some kind of strong metal alloy lay on the chain beside the standard dog tags all soldiers were issued. It would have fit neatly into the front of his dog tags slot while still staying firmly fixed to the breastplate.</p><p> </p><p>They hadn’t thought much of the object. Felix had only thought of it as a trophy from this job, until the Idiots had managed to pull a miracle out of their asses and somehow ruin <em>years</em> of hard work with one fucking transmission. But with the sudden reveal they were looking for some way to get back at the morons that didn’t know when to die. So they had examined the small device which was revealed to be some kind of locket.</p><p> </p><p>Neither had taken the orange Captain to be the sentimental sort. Tucker had mentioned a “Sister” in passing but had cut himself off when the other two captains had approached. If this locket contained any information on her it would be worth the trouble of finding her and bringing her to Chorus. If there was someone out there that they might be able to use against him the inconvenience would be well worth a detour.</p><p> </p><p>If they could find out who was so special to the orange idiot they might be able to turn Grif on his team to keep them safe.</p><p> </p><p>Unfortunately, <strong><em>IF</em></strong> seemed to be the keyword. Neither had any luck opening it. Even after they had spent an hour during their flight to the prison fiddling with the device. Felix had called it quits right a they arrived at the prison. There were more interesting things to take care of. Not to mention new pawns they could order around to solve the problem.</p><p> </p><p>Sharkface had been fiddling with it for the last hour or so as they traveled back to Chorus. He had been silent when they handed the locket to him. But he had understood what they wanted from a few short instructions. Felix and Locus had left the ex-convict alone after that. Both more than happy to have someone else deal with the problem as they cleaned their weapons after the last fight.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s it Dexter! You can do it!”</p><p> </p><p>A voice Felix hadn’t heard in years cut through the silence, causing Felix to freeze as he cleaned his gun. In the corner of his eye he saw Locus do the same.</p><p> </p><p>“Sam help hold him up. Oh man Megan is gonna be so mad she missed this!” The voice was unmistakable, even nearly fifteen years after he had died.</p><p> </p><p>“Come on Dexter you can do it! Walk to Uncle Zack.” The voice spoke again. Their tone was light and excited, like what someone would use if they were talking to a pet or a small child.</p><p> </p><p>As one both Felix and Locus turned around to face the voice.</p><p> </p><p>They both swung around to stare at a grinning face. The figure was male in his mid-twenties. He had dark eyes and darker hair. The figures face had a small scar that ran through his right eyebrow and a spot on the left where hair was missing. The figure was also missing a small chunk of cartilage from his left ear. He would have looked like a soldier if the expression on his face wasn’t one of unbridled joy.</p><p> </p><p>It was him, even with the stupidly happy expression being projected into the air the two mercenaries would have recognized that face anywhere.</p><p> </p><p>Sirius, their old partner’s face was being projected into the air from the locket in Sharkface’s hands.</p><p> </p><p>Their newest recruit was frozen. Clearly shocked by the sudden appearance of an old home movie playing from the locket. He hadn’t even moved to try and turn the small device off. He just stared at it shocked.</p><p> </p><p>But they didn’t pay him any mind.</p><p> </p><p>They were focused on the projection that suddenly shifted from the face of Mason Wu to the young faces of Isaac Gates and Samuel Ortez on the floor. They were younger, less grim and grey, like they were just normal people hanging out with their friend while his wife was out. The pair were sitting across from each other maybe a foot and a half apart. Both were grinning at the camera.</p><p> </p><p>Felix felt his gaze shift from the projection of his own young face to Locus’s. He gazed at the two until a bit of movement that caught his eye. He focused on Samuel’s projection, or more precisely his lap. There was a small purple figure squirming in the man’s lap. Sam sent an amused expression towards Isaac as he helped a year-old baby struggling to stand up in his lap.</p><p> </p><p>The chubby baby was gripping onto Sam’s thumbs as he helped him stand. Baby Dexter had an intense look of focus as he stood on his own two shaking feet. He took an unsteady step away from the young Sam towards the equally young Isaac.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s it Dex! Come to your Uncle Isaac!”</p><p> </p><p>Felix’s own voice came through the locket’s hidden speakers. It sounded foreign to his own ears. His voice held a joy and pride Felix barely remembered. His face held a proud grin he and his gaze held an intense joy he had only been able to make during a fight. Felix’s projection looked like some kind of sickeningly domestic stranger as he held his arms towards the toddling infant.</p><p> </p><p>The mercenaries observed, wide eyed; as chubby, uncoordinated legs took another unassisted step towards the grinning Isaac. They watched, transfixed, as the baby managed another three shaky steps before he fell into the waiting arms of his “Uncle Zack.”</p><p> </p><p>“Atta boy Dex! Good job!” The holographs cheered as the baby smiled at the camera. Cheerful laughter echoed through the room as Sirius set down the still recording camera to scoop up his son and begin tickling him. The ankle bitter squealed as he tried to squirm out of the way, accidentally kicking Isaac in the face.</p><p> </p><p>Everything got very quiet as the holographic men stare from the laughing child to a stunned Isaac. The baby completely oblivious to the tension reached his hand towards his father’s face.</p><p> </p><p>Felix forgot to breath as he watched the projection.</p><p> </p><p>There is a sharp laugh and suddenly Isaac grabbed Dex from his father’s arms and begins to gently swing him. The child shrieked with joy as Isaac’s holograph congratulates him on getting in a good hit.</p><p> </p><p>There was more laughter and smiles as Mason took his son back and the three sat down to get the child to walk again and again. Each time was followed with cheers, laughter, smiles, and congratulations.</p><p> </p><p>Something Felix and Locus hadn’t done in years.</p><p> </p><p>The three mercenaries watched as the video continued. None of them spoke, still too shocked to comment.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">******</span>
  </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>They had taken the locket from the stunned Sharkface shortly after the video had finished. Claiming that they would try and find any recent videos they could use to lure in their targets once they made it planet side. Or use recent footage to try and trick their enemies into a trap. Felix didn’t know, nor did he care to remember what they had told the guy.</p><p> </p><p>He was far more concerned with trying to think clearly after what they had just witnessed.</p><p> </p><p>He needed a clear head to sort through the dozens of questions and concerns that one video had created. Concerns about their identity being revealed to some know nothing convict. Why some Freelancer Simulation Trooper had <em>that</em> video was only one of the hundreds of questions that flashed through Felix’s head as he locked the door to give himself and Locus some privacy.</p><p> </p><p>Sharkface hadn’t seen their faces so he couldn’t have possibly known that they were the two “uncles” in the video. That was one problem solved. All they had to do was avoid being helmet less around the ex-prisoner and they would be good to go. Something that shouldn’t be a problem considering the situation on Chorus.</p><p> </p><p>They stood side by side with the locket laying in the middle of the crate. Together the two began to investigate the locket more thoroughly; hoping to find answers to their questions.</p><p> </p><p>They had found more videos. Pictures too. The locket was apparently a recording device as well as a projector. It held over two decades worth of pictures and videos. Some they suspected even Grif didn’t know about.</p><p> </p><p>They had flipped through the locket’s memory. Watching as the baby grew into a toddler. Then another child, a girl, just as happy and excitable joined him. They saw themselves in a few pictures, they were almost always smiling in them as they played with the kids. One particular memorable image had the two mercenaries holding both kids. It had been taken the day after they had finished a job. Sirius had been watching the kids and had invited his partners over to help. Felix and Locus were on a couch with the kids. Felix was sitting up as he made faces at the two-year-old girl. His eyes held amusement as Kai’s own face was scrunched up and her tongue was sticking out as she tried to imitate Felix’s expression. Locus was next to them, sleeping, his head tilted back as he laid sprawled across the rest of the couch. Dex was on his chest sleeping just as deeply as Locus. The man’s large hand was gently placed over the four-year-old’s back to keep him steady as the toddler slept on his chest.</p><p> </p><p>As they continued through the images a woman with dark hair and eyes appeared frequently as the children grew. Sometimes she was smiling, sometimes she was scowling, she didn’t seem to possess other expression. There were others too. Men and women Felix and Locus hadn’t seen or even thought about in years. Sometimes they were with Felix and Locus visiting the children, sometimes they were with Mason as he watched the kids.</p><p> </p><p>But one figure was more frequent than any of the others. Smiling, frowning, joking, scolding, making dinner, reading to his kids, giving a very muddy three year old Kai a bath, teaching the children how to swim, showing Dex how to cook, tucking the kids into bed at night, yelling at Felix after he caught him teaching a seven year old Kai and a nine year old Dex how to throw a knife, showing Locus and his kids how to fish, teaching Kai and Dex how to fight using the ridiculous flexibility that seemed to be genetic. There were hundreds of images of him with his children.</p><p> </p><p>Until suddenly he wasn’t there at all.</p><p> </p><p>Mason Wu had died when his children were twelve and ten respectively. He had been shot in the chest trying to get Felix out when an easy mission had gone sideways. Locus and Felix had managed to get him to a hospital but the doctors hadn’t been able to save him. They had promised the dying man that they would take care of his family. Right before he had flatlined. The two mercenaries had been unable to do anything more than hold a hand as Sirius slipped away.</p><p> </p><p>They had hoped to fulfill that promise even after they had buried their friend.</p><p> </p><p>But Megan had different plans. She had always been a piece of work. A Hawaiian native with a strong dislike for any kind of authority figures. Megan had deeply disapproved of the military that had taken up a large portion of her island home. Even with her husband as a veteran with a Purple Heart; she had spoken against the military to anyone who would listen to her. Megan had always been prickly around her husband’s military friends. Not just Felix and Locus; anyone in uniform was unwelcome at her home. When Mason had died she had done her best to make sure that her children had nothing to do with them.</p><p> </p><p>After the funeral Megan would scream at the two whenever she saw them. It didn’t matter where, at her home to drop off something they still had of Mason’s, at the cemetery, on the street, that one time in a grocery store when Felix had gone to pick up an eggplant completely unaware that she was there. Which was probably fair in retrospect. She had lost her husband to a job they had been on with him. Sirius had saved Felix’s life by sacrificing his own. They hadn’t been able to save him. She had a right to be angry at them.</p><p> </p><p>But Megan had taken it a step farther than just mourning widow. She had moved her family several times after Sirius died, she had cut off all contact with family and friends that knew him, she had even changed her children’s name. Dexter and Kaikaina Wu had disappeared when Megan had been unable to give a solid reason for a restraining order against Felix and Locus without risking the children being removed from her care. But even with that loss, Megan had succeeded. Between their jobs and Megan’s craziness, Locus and Felix had started to lose track of the family. Despite their best efforts the mercenaries had fully lost contact around the time Dexter had entered high school.</p><p> </p><p>Felix remembered the first time Sirius had introduced them to his son. It had been a month after the Lozano mission and he had called the two to a small island hospital off the coast of Hawaii. Both had arrived quickly, fearing that he was severely injured and in need of help. They had expected a mess of blood and maybe their partner missing another limb.</p><p> </p><p>That hadn’t been what they had found.</p><p> </p><p>Instead they had burst into the small room find Mason sitting in a chair with the biggest grin on his face, a woman with dark hair had slept in the bed, even after the ruckus Felix and Locus had caused when the entered. Felix remembered being ready to start screaming at Sirius for scaring them. They had been on edge for weeks after their first sideways mission and the nervousness in his transmission had freaked Felix and Locus out; afraid that the mission had finally caught up with them and some remains of the Lozano crime syndicate had come to kill them.</p><p> </p><p>A soft sound coming from a small bundle in Mason’s arms had killed any sound before it passed Felix’s throat. Mason had looked at the two with a tired smile before he shifted the blue bundle that he held so carefully.</p><p> </p><p>Mason had spoken to them softly, not taking his eyes off the bundle. He had explained why he had been an ass in their last mission, why he had been so worried about his family when Lozano had threatened them, why he had been in a bad spot with Megan. He had said so much more but Felix had stopped listening at that point. He had focused on the little bundle as it shifted in Mason’s grip once again.</p><p> </p><p>Mason had shifted the bundle once again. Managing to get Felix’s attention once again. Felix found himself jerking, reflexively preparing for another long lecture about how he should listen to his partners.</p><p> </p><p>Instead Mason had smiled and beckoned him and Locus closer. He shifted the blanket to reveal a small, red faced infant. The baby wasn’t even three hours old yet but he had a patch of dark hair that matched his dads perfectly.</p><p> </p><p>“Zac, Sam, I want you both to meet my son, Dexter.”</p><p> </p><p>Neither spoke as the baby shifted in Mason’s arms. Both Locus and Felix had gotten close enough to see the big blue eyes every baby had when they were born open. Baby Dexter looked at the two mercenaries before offering them a small smile. Felix had felt himself smile when the newborn let out a soft gurgle before closing his eyes again and curling back into his fathers arms.</p><p> </p><p>It had been the first feeling of peace the trio had felt since the last mission. They didn’t have to worry about some remaining assholes searching for them here. They were safe here. They had spent the next two hours talking with Mason, asking him about his son, about the last month of baby prep, about stupid inconsequential things that didn’t matter in the long run.</p><p> </p><p>Mason had offered to let them hold Dexter when the two had gotten ready to leave.</p><p> </p><p>The two had been shocked. But Sirius had insisted. Felix had laughed as Locus held the baby first. The infant made him look like more of a giant than usual and Locus had gotten the softest look on his have while Mason directed him on how to hold the baby. Locus had ignored him.</p><p> </p><p>Then it had been Felix’s turn.</p><p> </p><p>Felix remembered getting into position to hold the baby as Mason and Locus both watched him intensely as the kid was placed into his arms. They looked at him like they expected him to suddenly chuck the baby out the window. Felix had wanted to complain that he wasn’t that much of an asshole. But his words had frozen in his throat when the bundle shifted in his arms.</p><p> </p><p>Dexter had awakened from his nap. He had looked right at Felix and smiled that innocent baby smile. Felix had found himself frozen, wondering what he had done to deserve a look like that. This kid didn’t know Felix, didn’t know what he had done, but it was as if he didn’t care. This baby trusted Felix enough to not cry while he held him. Felix had found himself returning a smile to the kid and tighten his hold just a little bit to be certain that he wouldn’t drop him.</p><p> </p><p>“What are we going to do now?” Locus finally asked. His question broke Felix out of his memory in time to see the pictures start to show more... familiar faces, or rather helmets. Any hope that they might have had that Grif wasn’t Dexter Wu, wasn’t just some idiot that had ended up with the wrong dog tags had long since passed. Or rather died a very slow and painful death as they witnessed a video of an orange armored figure be abandoned by a pink figure, crushed by a tank and then put back together by a figure in red armor with a southern accent. Turning a relatively unfamiliar face into one both had recently seen.</p><p> </p><p>Killing Tucker by crushing half his body with a tank suddenly sounded like a lot more fun than just stabbing him in front of his friends.</p><p> </p><p>What <em>would</em> they do now?</p><p> </p><p>They hadn’t had to ask that question since before they had lost Sirius.</p><p> </p><p>Usually Sirius would be the one to make the call when things got complicated. After that first bump with Lozano he had always known what to do when things got bad. He had known what jobs were right and what weren’t. He had known how to explain situations to his partners. Especially after Felix and Locus had lost all understanding of right and wrong. Sirius had known how to guide them after their commanding officer had managed to drill most morality and compassion out of them during the war.</p><p> </p><p>Sirius had known when to keep fighting even when the odds were against them. He had known the best way to plan a job and the best way to take out any enemy. He had known when to change tactics and how to take opponents by surprise. He had even known when to cut his losses and go home. He had always had at least <span class="u">some</span> of the answers when Felix and Locus had none.</p><p> </p><p>But he wasn’t here now.</p><p> </p><p>What would he do? He wouldn’t want to hurt his son, but he wouldn’t have agreed to this job either. Mason hadn’t liked the idea of fighting teenagers; he would have hated the thought of manipulating children into hurting each other. He had always rejected any job that might have resulted in a kid getting injured. If they had ever fought a kid on one of their jobs, he would usually lecture them about ruining their life and tell them to find a way out. He had never raised a hand against a child if he could help it, if he did it was usually to convince them to leave before things got ugly or stay put while the trio solved the problem.</p><p> </p><p>Sirius would have hated this job. Hell, he would have hated their covers for this job. Felix knew it, Locus knew it, and deep-down Dexter probably knew it too. It was most likely why he hadn’t connected the two familiar mercenaries with his long lost “uncles” when he had encountered either. Dexter knew his uncles were the good guys, but there weren’t good guys during a civil war.</p><p> </p><p>Initially, the only reason Felix and Locus had taken the Chorus job was because it had been offered to them by one of their best customers. Neither hadn’t wanted to lose the customer because they hadn’t taken on this one job. They had hoped Sirius would have forgiven them for this one mission. Maybe he would be happy that they took it? After all, if they hadn’t then someone else would have been trying to kill his son. If they hadn’t taken on this job Dex might have been dead already.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s okay. Dex is still alive. We just need to focus on getting back to Chorus right now. We-we can figure out the rest later.” Felix finally spoke. His voice was just as shaken as his partners. Every instance that he had nearly killed Dexter flashing across his mind on repeat. The same thing was probably happening with Locus.</p><p> </p><p>Felix took a deep breath, slowing his thoughts so he could explain them to Locus. He needed to push all distractions out of his mind. They would plan when they had clear minds.</p><p> </p><p>They still had a few hours until they reached Chorus. They needed cool heads to plot their next move. They still needed to plan their first move against the united armies. They needed a proper plan of action before they took Dex into account. Locus and Felix knew the planet. If worse came to worse Locus could just sneak into whatever hole they were stuck in, knock the kid out, and drag him back to base. Dexter had survived worse than a little rough housing, he would live long enough for Felix and Locus to make their next move.</p><p> </p><p>For once Felix found himself thanking the insane luck Dexter and his idiot friends had. Because, while it may have been annoying, it had stopped him from accidentally killing Dex. Kept him from breaking his promise to Sirius.</p><p> </p><p>It would take some time and planning, but they would manage, like they always had.</p><p> </p><p>They would figure it out. Sirius’s son deserved better than to die in a fight his uncles had dragged him into.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>How did I do? I don't think I have seen anything like this before so I wanted to see where this idea took me. The answer (at the moment) is straight into a wall because I can't figure out how to proceed but I wanted to post it anyway.</p><p>Let me know your thoughts and feelings please!!! I love comments and even if its something small.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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